that here

THE IRISH TIMES
A Special Report
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
SLIGO
To cherish memories forever, you have to live them first. Experience world class surfing at
Strandhill, or immerse yourself in the spectacular landscapes of Ben Bulben or the Ox Mountains.
Horse riding, trekking, mountain biking, kite surfing, golfing or just lazily walking some of the
most beautiful beaches in Ireland – in Sligo you’re free to do it all.
/SLIGO
discoverireland.ie
P28422 FI SLIGO Beach IT Supp. 257x175 CB.indd 1
27/06/2011 12:00
SLIGO
Index
4
7
8
11
15
18
OUT OF THE BLUE You don’t always need a
surfboard to catch a water buzz in Sligo
SLIGO MAP
ALL IN GOOD TASTE Fine dining and fresh
produce are abundant in Sligo town and county
STAY AND PLAY Accommodation to suit all
tastes and pockets
FAMILY FUN From swooping raptors to ceramic
painting there are thrills for all the family
POETIC LEGACY Sligo’s cultural highlights go
well beyond the literary heritage of Yeats
20
22
24
28
29
30
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT The many
reasons to visit Sligo over the coming months
WAVES OF PLEASURE Surf beaches worth
seeking out
ON THE TOWN The very best of Sligo
nightlife
TEE TIME The county is home to some of the
best, most understated golf courses in Ireland
SOUL FOOD Replenish body and soul
with seaweed baths and bracing walks
BUY BUY BABY Go on a spending spree
in Sligo
An Irish Times Special Report in association with
FRONT COVER IMAGE: Benbulben from Streedagh beach
SLIGO
EDITOR: Madeleine Lyons PRODUCTION EDITOR: John Lane CONTACT: Special Reports Department, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2
TEL: 01-675 8000 E-MAIL: specialreports@irishtimes.com ADVERTISING: 01-675 8585 E-MAIL: advertising@irishtimes.com
Every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine to ensure accuracy at the time of publication. The Irish Times cannot accept responsibility for
omissions, or alterations occurring after the guide has been published.
SLIGO ADVENTURE
Hook,
line,
sinker
The wild waters of
Sligo are second to
none for those in
search of adventure.
Laurence Mackin
dived in head first
W
E’RE MAKING schoolboy
errors all over Daryl
Ewing’s fishing boat and
we’ve barely left the
harbour at Rosses Point. I’ve
already speared the tip of my finger
with a fish hook and my fishing
companion Ciaran Duggan has
shown up dressed as the most
unprepared fisherman in the world.
Thankfully, Ewing and the
experienced fishermen on board are
so distracted by his denim jacket
and flip flops they don’t notice my
ineptitude.
It’s a fine day for it all the same,
and chugging out from Rosses
Point it’s easy to see why so many
people use fishing as a refuge from
all the troubles of the mainland.
Seagulls bounce along optimistically
in our wake, the waves are
slapping happily at the bottom of
Ewing’s Sea Star, and the banter on
deck is cheerful – it seems only the
fish have anything to be worried
about.
And worry they should, because
what we lack in preparation and
ability we more than make up for in
bolts of beginners’ luck. After a few
unsuccessful stops, Ewing putters
the boat to a fresh spot, bait is
changed, and soon the regular pull
on the rod is replaced by a sharp
tug – coley fish, small and playful,
but not much worth eating, are
soon clogging up the reels. Then we
hit a shoal of mackerel, and up they
come, three or four to a line,
beautiful purple-green scales
glinting in the sun that, now and
again, emerges.
We change location and Ewing
advises us to drop the lines fast to
get through the clouds of mackerel
and hunt the bigger game – pollock
mostly, a much more robust fish
and acres more fun on the line. At
the prime spots at the back of the
boat that the other fishermen are
kind enough to give up to us
novices, we’re making a merry
blood bath, and soon the catch
bucket is filling up with reams of
mackerel, a fine brace of pollock, a
dogfish and the odd gurnard
(which, it turns out later, is a
4 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
The revelatory red gurnard.
Photographs: Laurence Mackin
revelation on the fork). The pollock
are the best to try to catch, pulling
hard on the rod and bending it
down with a solid, underwater
wrestle. There are few more
satisfying feelings than landing a
fine glinting fish to the cheers of
your new mates.
We change bait and tactics again,
bouncing chunks of freshly cut
mackerel along the bottom of the
sea slowly, trying to tempt a bottom
feeder, with ray at the top of the
most-wanted list.
“If you feel a pull, leave it alone
for 30 seconds or so, then bring it in
steady,” advises Ewing. A ray’s
mouth is underneath its large, flat
body and it will bite on the bait, but
the trick is in giving it time to get up
on top of what it thinks is an easy
SLIGO ADVENTURE
fishing trips aboard the Sea Star.
Full- or half-day and evening trips
are available, with all gear
provided. The catch-and-cook
option is not to be missed.
■ Tel: 086-891 3618,
sligoboatcharters.com
S
meal before reeling it in.
Twenty minutes – and another
shot of luck across the bows – later
and two ray are ready for hanging
for a day or two so they are ready
for cooking and eating.
It’s a decent day’s haul, and after
stopping off for a few barely earned
pints in the beautiful Beach Bar in
Aughris Head (see pages 24-26)
and the cosy pub on Coney Island
(there’s only one, see page 23) we
head for port. En route, Eoin
McLoughlin and Peter Callaghan
gut the fish cleanly and precisely,
despite the rolling sea, spits and
squalls. Ewing’s most regular
passenger, a large seagull, George,
takes up his post on the trawler’s
cabin roof. Most seagulls follow a
boat in the hope of getting a few
easy morsels, but George is an
altogether more regal character
and demands to be hand-fed.
Once back at Rosses Point, we
TRANDHILL IS WELL known
for its surfing, and if you are
going to hit the waves, then
make sure to get a few pointers
from the appropriately named
Perfect Day surf school. Owners
Tom and Simone Hickey have been
running the school since 1998. Their
surfing coaches, led by daughter
Elisha, are charged with enthusiasm
for all sports waterborne.
Our instructor does his best not
to laugh at my pathetic attempts to
stay on top of some admittedly
difficult surf (the waves are too
small to compensate for my lack of
balance, and crumble into white
water after a few seconds) and full
of advice as to what I’m doing
wrong – not to mention strongly
encouraging during the few seconds
when something inexplicably goes
right.
After the challenges of the open
sea, though, we’re after a more
serene experience, and this is
where Tom and Simone’s latest
offering comes in. Stand-up paddle
boarding (SUP) is a relatively new
phenomenon in this part of the
world and is a different challenge
from surfing, although it is still a
terrific workout – big-wave pioneer
Laird Hamilton is messianic in his
head to Austies restaurant, where
devotion to it.
staff whisk the bulging bags of fresh
We drive beyond Sligo town to
catch off to the kitchen and prepare Doorley park and pontoon, where
a feast fit for a fleet of fishermen
we unload four large SUP boards.
kings, while we sup creamy, dreamy Tom and Simone talk us through
pints of Guinness and take in the
the stance, feet beside each other
view. We’d have asked the crew to
and fairly far apart, knees bent and
join us but there’s no point – not
back straight. In minutes we’re
one of the hardy fisherman
standing a little shakily
has any interest in eating
on the water. With
what they catch (it’s
paddles in hand,
Trá Bán in Strandhill
clear we’re not the
we move into
cooks one of the best
only ones making
the wind,
post-surf meals in the west.
schoolboy errors
pushing
Impeccable service and a well-priced
when the plates of
ourselves
delicious fish
along with
winelist complement unfussy food
arrive, including
slow, solid
with top-drawer ingredients. Starters
that revelatory
strokes.
of
mussels
set
us
up
nicely
for
the
gurnard).
This
steak with a half tail of lobster that
Daryl Ewing,
couldn’t be
fisherman, skipper, barely left room for pints downstairs further from
quantity surveyor,
in the Strand bar. 071-912 8402, the hustle of
web designer and
surfing. There’s
trabansligo.ie
all-round top bloke,
time to appreciate
organises sightseeing and
the scenery as we
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 5
SLIGO ADVENTURE
The Garavogue river makes
its way into Sligo town
cruise down the Garavogue river
and into Sligo town. Once you hit
your rhythm of paddle and stroke,
it’s a blissful experience. When we
turn around, and the brisk wind is
at our backs, the effort needed is
halved. It’s a breeze to chat while
using our bodies as sails in the
occasional big gust, letting the
current wind us slowly down river.
As strange as it seems to be
standing straight up on a board and
moving on water, it feels natural.
Expect SUP to win converts at a
rapid rate.
■ Perfect Day Surfing, Strandhill. tel:
087-202 9399, perfectdaysurfing.com
T
HE ORIGINAL PLAN was to
have a go at kitesurfing. But as
with all watersports, especially
given Irish conditions, there needs
to be a back-up plan, and when the
winds fail to live up to our
expectations, we opt to try sailing.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t
slightly relieved. Kitesurfing is one
of the tougher sports to try.
Generally, those who want to learn
commit to a set of lessons to get
over the steep learning curve.
Sailing, though, can be enjoyed
from the off.
LSD Kiteboarding, run by Eamon
and Peter Armstrong, based in
Rosses Point, offers both options.
We meet Eamon on the slipway of
the Sligo Yacht Club as a Fireball
competition heads out into the
water – this is not a test of the gods,
but a small, light class of boat with a
crew of two that will rip through the
water and turn through 180 degrees
in a heartbeat.
Our boat is a larger, more basic
(and more stable) version and
Armstrong walks us through the
various manoeuvres we will be
practising on the water. Once we’re
wet-suited and lifejacketed up, we
push the boat out and climb aboard,
taking positions to keep the weight
evenly distributed.
From the shore it may look slow,
but on the water the boat feels like
it’s rattling along at a speedy rate of
knots. Keeping the various sails in
trim is harder than it looks and
when the boat rears almost on to its
side, we have to lean over the other
side, feet held in stirrups, to prevent
the whole thing capsizing. It’s all
brilliant, energetic fun, never more
so than when we get to turn a hand
to tilling. Experienced sailors make
this look effortless, but I find it
difficult to even hold a conversation
while keeping the surprisingly
sensitive boat travelling in a vaguely
Fireballs in Sligo bay
Photograph: Joe St Leger
6 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
straight line, using landmarks and
the sails’ string guides as pointers.
As we head for shore, hands tired
from holding ropes, minds drained
from studying the horizon, the
Fireballs are swirling around one
another in a frenzy of sails and
shouts. Sailing may not have the
cutting-edge cool of kitesurfing, but
it’s got enough thrills and spills to
keep the heart pumping and the
adrenaline running high.
■ LSD Kiteboarding, Rosses Point.
tel: 086-805 1390, lsdkiteboarding.com
STAYING IN
STRANDHILL
We stayed in the Strandhill Lodge
and Suites, four-star accommodation.
Rooms are large and very comfortable,
with beautiful views. The breakfast is
continental (a fry will only weigh you
down on the water anyway) and served
until a languid 10.30am. Rooms from
¤99 – good value for top-quality
accommodation.
Co SLIGO
MAP
SLIGO ROADS
N15
To Donegal
N16
To Enniskillen
R291
R278
R292
R28
N4
4
7
R28
R
29
2
N59
To Enniscrone
Ballina
N17
R2
84
To Tobercurry N4
Knock Airport To Boyle
Galway Dublin
SLIGO
Map courtesy of Ordnance Survey Ireland
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 7
SLIGO DINING
Chow down!
Aoife Carrigy discovers the tastiest ways to
forage your way around Sligo town and county,
whatever the budget, occasion or appetite
Shells Cafe
emphasises
good local food
EATING EN MASSE
For a weekend of action or a
staycation with the kids, Sligo has
lots of good options for chowing
down with a gang.
Hargadons, O’Connell Street, Sligo,
071-9153709, hargadons.com
Local chef Joe Grogan is busy
instilling new life into this beloved
local institution. Besides a great
pint and the chance of a tune or
two, expect delicious home-baking
in the afternoons, hearty lunches
and a dinner menu that lists local
suppliers.
it as good a choice for chowder,
buffalo wings or steak as it is for
zuppa di pesce, quesadillas or
Bluebell Falls goats’ cheese.
Coach Lane Restaurant @
Donaghy’s Bar, Lord Edward
Street, Sligo, 071-9162417,
coachlane.ie
Chef Andy Donaghy combines
tradition with innovation in this
award-winning restaurant, making
Trá Bán Restaurant, Strandhill, Co
Sligo, 071-9128402, trabansligo.ie
With views beyond the white
strands below out to Inishmurray
island, this award-winning
family-friendly restaurant above the
Strand Bar has a wide menu
8 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | June 9, 2011
DINING SLIGO
S
LIGO MAY NOT (yet) be
as well known for its
abundance of local food
producers as other pretty
pockets of rural Ireland, but
the team at Source are keen
to change that.
Sligo town’s new landmark
food emporium takes in a
restaurant, deli, wine bar and
cookery school over its
three-floor sprawl, and each
element is playing its own
part in helping to encourage,
promote and shape a thriving
local food culture.
The kitchen’s menu strives
to be as local as possible,
showcasing the best
producers alongside fresh
produce plucked from their
own polytunnels. On the
top-floor in the cookery
school, with its views of
Benbulben, long-established
local chef Eithna O’Sullivan
strives to integrate into her
broad range of classes the
local produce featured in the
growing deli section
downstairs. She also has high hopes
that some of the more
industry-focused courses will help
to give budding artisan producers
the skills and confidence to follow
another string to the bow of
business partners Joe
Grogan and Ray and Eileen
Monahan.
Flexibility is key to the
Source experience, where
hungry punters can choose
from stocking up, casual
grazing or the full monty of a
sit-down meal.
This is reflected in the
range of cookery courses,
which include the fun Friday
Night Wine; Dine and Demo
offerings as well as some
hands-on classes such as the
Catch & Cook experience
which will test your fishing
skills as well as stretch your
cooking repertoire.
Source even takes its
broad offering off-site, with a
regular stall and
demonstrations at the local
farmers' market.
Ambitious it may be, but
judging from the calibre of
this team's individual
reputations as well as the
depth of their combined
experience, Source is equipped to
weather these hard times.
A FUTURE INSTITUTION
ranging from local seafood to
traditional steaks, served with a
twist by Ducasse-trained head chef,
Julian Regneres.
Davis’s Restaurant @ The Yeats
Tavern, Drumcliff, Co Sligo,
071-9163117,
yeatstavernrestaurant.com
Whether you’re after a quick bite
after visiting Yeats’s grave or
walking Benbulben, for a Sunday
roast or a take-away pizza, this
long-established family pub serves
up so much more than bar food.
their culinary dreams. And even
much of the wine served in the
middle-floor wine bar has a strong
Sligo connection, being coaxed from
the grapes of Terramonti vineyard,
■ Source, John St, Sligo,
071-9147605, sourcesligo.ie
Conrad’s Kitchen, Rockwood
Parade, Sligo, 071-9119400,
conradskitchen.com
Donegal-born Conrad Gallagher
needs little introduction, so loudly
does his reputation precede him.
His cooking tends to be as solidly
skilful as his story is colourful, and
Try also:
Shells (p10), The Waterfront (p10),
Osta Cafe & Wine Bar (p10), Lyons
Cafe (p10)
DINING A DEUX
While its long strands and wooded
lakelands are perfect for romantic
breaks, Sligo also boasts great
shopping, making it an equally good
base for a girls’ catch-up – and it
has several special fine-dining
experiences to spoil yourself with.
THE IRISH TIMES SLIGO | June 9, 2011 | 9
SLIGO DINING
the recent relocation suggests
Conrad’s Kitchen will continue to
call Sligo home.
Coopershill House, Riverstown, Co
Sligo, 071-9165108, coopershill.com
Though the four-course dinner and
afternoon tea are available to nonresidents, you’ll want to stay in this
stunning Blue Book country house
hotel, not least so you can wander
in the vegetable gardens from
which much of the menu is sourced.
Don’t miss their award-winning
venison when in season.
Bella Vista, Strandhill, Co Sligo,
071-9122222,bellavista.ie
Located beside the sea in the scenic
surfing village of Strandhill, Bella
Vista Bar & Bistro has a reputation
for good food and value. The newly
opened Waves@Bella Vista
restaurant offers something for
everyone from 10am-10pm daily,
including breakfast, lunch, pizzas,
pastas, Early Bird Menu and a kids
menu.
Moira’s Restaurant, Cromleach
Lodge Hotel, Castlebaldwin, Co
Sligo, 071-9165155, cromleach.com
Expect serious attention to detail at
Moira Tighe’s critically-acclaimed
restaurant, open to non-residents,
as is Nuada’s Bar. Stay over so you
can work up an appetite in this
tranquil walking country, or simply
indulge at the in-house Ciúnas Spa.
Try also:
Trá Bán Restaurant (p8); Osta Cafe
& Wine Bar (below); Source (p9)
SLIGO ON A PLATE
Sometimes a place is a such a local
institution, you simply couldn’t
Local produce
■ Lindy O’Hara’s Coopershill
venison (smoked and fresh in
season)
■ Charlie Kelly’s Lisadell clams,
mussels and oysters
■ Colm O’Donnell’s Ox mountain
lamb
■ Betty and Frank Melvin’s
Carraig Fhada seaweeds from
Easkey. See Sligo native Prannie
Rhatigan’s superb ‘Irish Seaweed
Kitchen’ cookbook for inspiration.
■ Gary Stafford’s The Hungry
Rock savoury preserves
■ Local butcher Keith Clarke’s
Knocknarea honey
■ Ballisodare Free Range Eggs
Ann Donovan
■ Woodville Farm’s free range
eggs. Collect by hand on the open
farm. 071-9162741 to book.
. . . and where to find them:
■ Origin Farmers’ Market, Sligo
IT Sports Field Car Park,Saturdays
9am-1pm
■ Source, John St, sourcesligo.ie
■ Kate’s Kitchen, Castle St,
kateskitchen.ie
■ Cafe Fleur, O’Connell St,
cafefleur.ie
■ Gourmet Parlour, Bridge St,
gourmetparlour.com
Strandhill, having met surfside in
Cornwall. There’s an emphasis on
affordable local dishes with a real
sense of personality, and fun events
to keep the crowds flocking here.
imagine it being anywhere else and
sometimes places are
quintessentially local thanks to
painstaking sourcing. Either way,
Sligo has plenty of places to truly
call its own.
Shells Cafe, Strandhill, Co Sligo,
071-9122938, shellscafe.com
Keen surfers Myles and Jane
Lamberth set up their dream of a
seaside bakery and cafe in
Lyons Cafe, Quay Street, Sligo,
071-9142969, garystafford.com
Gary Stafford’s in-store cafe opened
in 1923 in what was already then
the long-serving Lyons Department
Store. People go for the traditional
baking and fresh salad bar – and
come back for exotic specials such
as chicken with citrus and sumak.
Their new venture, Slice at the
Model offers similar fare as well as
Sunday brunch.
Osta Cafe & Wine Bar, Garavogue
Weir View, Sligo, 071-9144639,
osta.ie
From the new 30-mile (48km)
breakfast (all sourced within a
30-mile radius) right through to the
oft-foraged-for specials and daily
tapas menu, slow food enthusiast
and dedicated supporter of local
producers, Brid Torrades’ food is
always infused with a sense of place.
The Waterfront, Rosses Point, Co
Sligo, 071-9177122,
waterfrontrestaurant.ie
Under new management, the views
of Sligo Bay haven’t changed in this
mecca of waterside dining, and nor
has its emphasis on great local
seafood, now under the steerage of
head chef Brian Fox.
Top: Andrew Donaghy of Coach Lane. Above: Coopershill House
10 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
Try also:
Coopershill (p9); Source (p9)
ACCOMMODATION SLIGO
Cromleach Lodge
Rooms withthe views
From secret, salmon-stocked waterfalls and legendary landmarks to
some of the best mountain views in the country, Sligo has
accommodation options to suit all tastes, writes Alanna Gallagher
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Tonic for the soul
The Radisson offers the right
balance of hospitality and
pampering. It’s Friday night
summer barbecue on the terrace is
a local favourite and helps visitors
kickstart the weekend. Two nights
B&B and one evening meal costs
from ¤139pps. Under 16s stay free
but pay for meals. Escape the family
for a couple of hours to the Solas
Wellness spa, where an Espa skin
radiance treatment, which includes
a full body massage, back scrub and
mini-facial, is an 85-minute
indulgence that costs ¤99.
■ Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Rosses
Point, Ballincar. 071-9140008,
radissonblu.ie/hotel-sligo
Great golf and spa
If you prefer a more rural setting to
relax in, Castle Dargan Golf Hotel
and Wellness is a new-build resort
framed by castle ruins that are
visible from the second and 16th
holes of its Darren Clarke-designed
golf course. Fans include Westlife’s
Mark Feehily and Shane Filan.
Walled garden suites cost from
¤139pps for two nights B&B and
one dinner, while the old house can
sleep up to eight and is ideal for a
small group or wedding party. The
Elemis spa offers pampering.
■ Castle Dargan Golf Hotel and
Wellness, Ballygawley. 071-9118080,
castledargan.com
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 11
Clockwise
from left:
Strandhill
Lodge and
Suites;
Temple
House;
Clarion Hotel
Family fun
The Sligo Park Hotel and Leisure
Club is a family-friendly
establishment that offers 137 rooms
with rates from ¤79pps. The real
value is in its two nights B&B and
one dinner package, which costs
from ¤149 pps. Ask for a room
facing the garden. There are film
nights for kids with popcorn until
9pm nightly, a great leisure centre,
which includes water activities for
children on rainy days, and music in
the bar.
■ Sligo Park Hotel and Leisure Club,
Pearse Road. 071-9190400,
sligoparkhotel.com
GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
Country house chic
Coopershill is a country house B&B
run by Simon O’Hara and
Ballymaloe-trained chef Christine
McCauley. The family silver still
adorns the dining table for dinner
and breakfast. In season their fallow
deer provide them with smoked
venison and steaks, while the
vegetable patch supplies all their
potatoes, leeks, broccoli and
tomatoes. The house has eight
rooms, seven of which are en suite.
Two nights B&B and one dinner
costs ¤239pps on weekends. A
house party rate of two nights B&B,
with dinner, Sunday lunch and
afternoon tea is ¤245 and requires
a minimum of 12 people.
■ Coopershill, Riverstown.
071-9165108, coopershill.com
Foodie find
Cromleach Lodge is a destination in
itself. It overlooks Lough Arrow
and has a table dolmen to its rear,
one of the many places Diarmuid
and Gráinne are reputed to have
bedded down for the night. The
dolmen walk is just one of many in
the local area where you can get up
close and personal with Sligo’s
archaeological heritage.
sixth-floor
accommodation offering
outside balconies from
which you can enjoy
Sligo’s landmark
mountain views.
The Glasshouse is
especially popular with
weekenders and night
owls. Explore the town’s
traditional bars;
Hargadons is a Victorian
interior gastro pub with
character and cheap
eats. The hotel has
underground parking. Rooms are
from ¤79 room only mid-week and
¤109 room only on weekends. B&B
and one dinner costs from ¤179 pps.
Cityslicker
central
T
HE GLASSHOUSE is a
contemporary hotel situated in
Sligo town’s centre. Built on the
banks of the Garavogue river, the
decor is boutique hotel meets zany
primary colours. The rooms are big
and spacious, with some of the
12 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
■ The Glasshouse, Swan Point.
071-9194301, theglasshouse.ie
SLIGO ACCOMMODATION
house has an old-world feel, with
wonderful interior flourishes, such
as Italianate coving and cornicing,
decorative marble fireplaces and
original furniture. It may be
aristocratically shabby but it oozes
authenticity. There are six rooms,
some of which can interconnect to
create family suites. The house is
also available to book for house and
shooting parties. B&B costs from
¤75 pps. For two nights with one
dinner served at a communal dining
table surrounded by Perceval family
portraits, it costs about ¤95pp.
■ Temple House, Ballymote.
071-9183329, templehouse.ie
Island life
Get away from it all with a
self-catering stay on Coney Island.
Inish Mulclohy Lodge is a
two-bedroom converted barn that
can sleep up to six. Situated five
minutes from the beach, it costs
¤550 per week in high season and
there is still summer availability for
the weeks beginning July 9th and
August 13th. Drive on to the island
at low tide only and install
The food is fantastic. Chef
proprietor Moira Tighe is
self-taught and has a feel for flavour
that will make you want to extend
your stay. The establishment offers
suite accommodation with B&B
from ¤60pps. Two nights B&B in a
superior room and one dinner costs
from ¤175pps.
■ Cromleach Lodge Country House
and Ciunas Spa, Lough Arrow,
Castlebaldwin. 071-9165155,
cromleach.com
Seaside suite
The Strandhill Lodge and Suites
offer balcony views of the Atlantic
rollers and a chance to inhale the
bracing fresh air without leaving
your room. Rooms cost from ¤99
per night for bed and continental
breakfast. One-bedroom suites,
which can sleep up to four with two
on the sofa bed in the living room,
cost from ¤119 per night.
■ Strandhill Lodge and Suites.
071-9122122,
strandhilllodgeandsuites.com
OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Rock of ages
Temple House is a 1,000-acre
country pile that has been in the
Perceval name since 1665. The
THE GLEN, near Strandhill
T
HE GLEN IS a little local secret
worth seeking out in the lee of
Knocknarea. To find it, drive
out of Strandhill,
along the Top
Road towards
Culleenduff. After
you pass the most
perfectly set
tumble-down
cottage (now on
the market, and
hands off,
because I saw it
first), keep an eye
out on the left for
the Glen Road,
which rises
sharply. Take this
road and watch
the right for a
path that pops
down into a green
tunnel (there’s also a small well on
your left). This is where you go
down the rabbit hole and follow
the muddy trail that bring you into
the Glen.
There are no signposts and no
HIDD
EN
GEM
explanations for this natural
wonder. It’s in a place where
Knocknarea falls out of the sky
and heads towards
the sea. A natural
event, perhaps an
earthquake, has
gouged a deep
grassy channel
out of the rock,
and over the past
centuries, huge
trees have grown
up its centre.
When you walk
into the gorge, the
sound drops away
and everything
becomes still and
hushed. Water
trickles down its
walls, and the
green, cathedrallike space feels cut off from any
sense of time. This is a little piece
of magic in the Sligo hinterland,
and all the better for being that
little bit tricky to find.
Laurence Mackin
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 13
SLIGO ACCOMMODATION
The informed
budget option
S
Coopershill in
Riverstown
yourself in the Pub, the
only hostelry on the island.
■ Inish Mulclohy Lodge, Coney Island.
Tel: 047-88788 or contact Eileen
Ferguson via nealgreig.com
Big house life
Primrose Grange House is a
country house owned by the
O’Donoghue-Symmons family. In
one of the wings is a self-contained,
self-catering property with its own
entrance. Located in Knocknarea,
the two-bedroom property can
sleep up to seven. The bedrooms
have sea views and include a
welcome pack of soda bread,
milk, butter and free-range eggs
from the house’s chickens. A
minimum two-night stay costs
from ¤250. The weekly rate is
¤700.
■ Grange House, Knocknarea,
Strandhill. 087-2641979,
luxuryselfcateringsligo.com
LIVEN UP
Buzzy and booming
The Clarion is one of Sligo’s busiest
hotels, which is unsurprising given
that its room rates start from ¤59.
It offers boom-era décor, great
value bar food, and a buzz even
midweek.
■ Clarion Hotel Sligo, Clarion Road.
071-9119000, clarionhotelsligo.com
Cheap sleep
The Best Western Sligo Southern
Hotel and Leisure Centre is a well
located and well-priced option that
is especially good for families on a
budget. Two nights B&B plus one
dinner costs from ¤99 pps. Three
nights B&B for two adults and two
children under 12 costs ¤299 and is
available until August.
■ Best Western Sligo Southern Hotel
and Leisure Centre, Pearse Road.
071-9162101, sligosouthernhotel.com
Shoestring stay
The Harbour House Hostel offers
clean and simple accommodation
from ¤25pps in its double rooms.
This includes a continental
breakfast. The communal lounge
has a warm open hearth.
■ Harbour House Hostel, Finisklin
Road, Sligo, Co Sligo. 086-2598293,
harbourhousehostel.com
14 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
EASHORE HOUSE is a
traditional B&B operated by
Ann Campbell and is situated
at the edge of Ballysadare Bay, a
salt marsh and special area of
conservation that boasts views
of Knocknarea, reputed to be
home to Queen Maeve’s tomb.
Guests come for the views and
stay for the hospitality.
Surrounded by fields, the sitting
room has an adjoining
conservatory where guests take
breakfast and turns on the
telescope to see the other
residents of the area; duck,
swans, and even salmon can be
seen resting in the shallow
waters, with their tails poking up
through the water indicating
their repose. A morning walk
along the bank, a raised stone
wall built in the 19th century,
will whet your appetite for
breakfast.
Ask Ann to show you
Ballysadare Fishing Club, a
secret setting hidden from view
where the falls offer the
spectacular sight of salmon
leaping to get to their spawning
grounds. Daily fishing fees cost
¤100 and rods can be purchased
from the club. For further
information call Dermot Gleeson
on 086-2515064.
Ann has four en-suite rooms
as well as a self-catering family
room. Rooms cost from ¤35 B&B
pps. All have wifi.
■ Seashore House B&B.
071-9167827,
seashoreguests.com
Lough Gill and Yeats Tour
Take in the sights of
Yeats’ Grave, Glencar Waterfall,
Parkes Castle then view the
Lake Isle of Innisfree on board the
Rose of Innisfree tour boat, run by
George McGoldrick. Mon-Sat from
Sligo Tourist Office at 10.15am and
Markievicz Road at 10.30am.
Returns to town at 2.30pm. Tour:
¤30 roseofinnisfree.com
FAMILY DAYS SLIGO
Flightsof family
fancy
I
F YOU find yourself anywhere
near Sligo city this summer, with
children to entertain, do
yourselves a favour and take a
short detour to the
countryside at
Portinch, near
Ballymote,
home to a
place called
Eagles
Flying.
Fearless children will be thrilled by the
raptors and wildlife, while those of a more
calm disposition will dig pottery classes,
and there’s always the endless dunes to
roll around in, writes Frank McNally
As the name and its subtitle, the
Irish Raptor Research Centre,
suggest, Eagles Flying is both a
bird show and an educational
facility. But birds are only the half
of it. Run by German scientist
Lothar Muschketat, it also hosts a
wonderful menagerie of animals,
mostly wild and in many cases
rescued from unhappier fates.
That they are now in good hands
is clear from their
demeanour. These are
some of the
happiest and
most relaxed creatures you’ll see:
from the peacocks sun-bathing on
the roof of a jeep, to the curious
bronze turkey who comes up and
looks you straight in the eye, to the
pet ferrets, one of which was so
laid-back that, stretching itself on
top of a wooden fence while having
its belly tickled, it fell off.
The inmates of Muschketat’s pet
zoo range in size from a boxful of
mice – always a big draw with
kids – to an enormous black
pot-bellied pig. But my own
favourite was a female raccoon
called Grizzly whose party trick is to
retrieve nuts and other food that
Muschketat puts in your pocket.
Like a skilled revenue official,
Grizzly will then empty those
pockets, now matter how tight
or deep. And suffice to say
that being patted down
by a female raccoon is
not something you
experience
every day of
the week.
A bald eagle at Eagles
Flying in Ballymoate,
Co Sligo. Photograph:
James Connolly/PicSell8
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 15
SLIGO FAMILY DAYS
The main act at Eagles Flying,
however, are the raptors: a
collection of which includes
Himalyan vultures, eagle owls, and
a somewhat tragic buzzard that was
rescued – probably after being hit
by a car while eating road kill – and
now suffers occasional seizures,
triggered by such things as seeing a
mouse. These are not pets, as the
birds remind you by chomping their
way through their favourite snacks:
fluffy day-old chicks. Even so, you
can get very close to them and they
to you.
During the twice-daily shows
(11am and 3pm), a swooping saker
falcon may zoom past your ear close
enough to flick you with a
feather-tip, or, if you volunteer, a
harris hawk will perch on your
outstretched arm, making short
work of the chicken leg you’re
holding between nervous thumb
and forefinger. The good news is
that you can trust the birds
implicitly. These are flying
machines of awe-inspiring speed
and accuracy – they don’t make
mistakes.
Back in Sligo, and by complete
contrast except in its ability to
amuse children for a precious hour
or two, is a little place called
Hullabaloo. On John F Kennedy
Parade, along the river bank, it’s a
pottery studio where the basic
shapes – mugs, plates,
motorbike-shaped ceramic
piggy-banks – are pre-supplied.
All you and the kids have to do
now is paint them. The studio
provides the equipment along with
any artistic guidance you need. The
pieces are then glazed and fired in a
kiln on site, before being posted or
held on site for collection.
Entertaining female children is
clearly a speciality. The day we
were there, an all-girl party of 10
was silently at work, utterly
absorbed; the merchandise might
be a bit fragile for a more
boisterous clientele. That said, our
clutch of two boys and a girl made it
through the session without
incident. And there is a
design-your-own teddy bear facility,
too.
Highly recommended in
Sligo – and free – is a daily walking
tour of the city. It leaves from the
tourist office on Temple Street,
conducted on alternate mornings
during the summer by Art
McCarrick and Eimear Scott. We
had McCarrick, a local school
teacher, whose commentary was as
entertaining as it was educational.
Stops include the William Butler
Yeats statue on Stephen’s
Street – so located because, when
accepting his Nobel prize, the poet
claimed that Stockholm’s Royal
Palace reminded him of the Ulster
Bank in Sligo, in front of which the
statue now stands – and the sign
16 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
Above, Eva Craig with a barn owl
from Eagles Flying. Photographs:
James Connolly/PicSell8
Below, Classiebawn Castle,
Mullaghmore with Benbulben in
the background.
The product of a hard day’s
craft at Hullabaloo
of Sligo’s free attractions, are the
towering sand dunes of Strandhill.
This is a great place for mother to
amuse the children while father
plays golf on the links course. Or, as
in our case, for daddy to mind the
kids while mammy gets herself
wrapped at Voya Seaweed Baths,
from which she emerges an hour
later, her verdict – and the rest of
her – glowing: “That was fan-tastic!”
MAKE IT HAPPEN
■ Sligo walking tours leave from the
Fáilte Ireland office on Temple Street,
HAZELWOOD Forest
outside what must be the world’s
best-named law firm: Argue &
Phibbs. The firm is long gone
(replaced by another legal
practice), but the sign has rightly
acquired the status of heritage.
If you’re so minded, then,
surrounded as it is by mountains,
Sligo has plenty of opportunities for
more vigorous exercise. Not,
perhaps, on Ben Bulben, the
dramatic backdrop for Drumcliffe
Churchyard and Yeats’s grave,
which is too steep and dangerous
for casual climbers and is probably
best enjoyed as scenery.
But on the other side of town is
Knocknarea, another
table-mountain of sorts, which is
easier to climb – you can be up and
down in an hour – and it has the
added attraction of Queen Maeve’s
reputed burial place on top: a huge
stone cairn, still unexcavated, in
which the dead queen is said to
have been planted standing up,
facing her ancient enemies from
Ulster.
Not far from there, and another
T
HE Hazelwood forest recreation
Area offers an unfussy, family
friendly walk in a mature forest
setting
along the
northwest
shore of
Lough Gill.
Arriving,
you’ll
notice a
line of
rowboats
tied up
under the
trees at
Annagh
Bay:
the original
place
name
before the
demesne
became
the seat of
the Wynne family. The parking spot
has picnic benches and looks out
onto a half-moon bay where a few
crusts of bread will bring a fleet of
ducks and swans gliding in. The
Sligo town at 11am, Mon-Sat.
071-9161201. Tour also includes Sligo
Abbey, built in 1252. Guided tours daily.
■ Eagles Flying is at Portinch, Ballymote, and opens at 10.30am-12.30pm
and 2.30pm-4.30pm, with bird shows
at 11am and 3pm. 071-9189310,
eaglesflying.com
■ Hullabaloo pottery and painting
studio is open seven days a week
during school holidays and until 8pm
on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
nights. 071-9147528, hullabaloo.ie
HIDD
EN
GEM
3km forest path
is level and rated multi-access
and is also a cleverly informative
nature trail.
Numbered
upright posts
conceal
swinging
arms loaded
with
information.
Stop No 2,
for instance,
indicates a
bird table
and names
the species
you might
see, while
other
numbered
signs refer to
the specimen
Yew and
Douglas Fir
trees, the limestone folly and the
Crannog standing off shore against
the hill of the two birds, Slieve
Daene.
Brian Leyden
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 17
SLIGO HERITAGE and ARTS
Michael Budd at the
Sligo Folk Park.
Below: Knocknarea
Freespirits ofSligo
Brian Leyden describes a thriving arts culture in which the literary
heritage of William Butler Yeats finds itself in good company
A
S JAMES JOYCE is to
Dublin, William Butler
Yeats is to Sligo. His
sensibility and turn of
phrase profoundly influence how
we see the place, from the
landmark “bare Ben Bulben’s
head”, to “the light of evening” on
the great windows of Lissadell
House, to the curt “cast a cold eye”
pronouncement on the limestone
tablet marking the poet’s final
resting place in the churchyard at
Drumcliffe. It is a privilege and an
enrichment to have the poet’s
legacy informing every encounter
18 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
with the county, but there is much
more to Sligo than the imaginative
colouring it takes from the visions
of a dead poet.
Living writers here such as
Leland Bardwell, Eoin McNamee,
Kevin Barry, Dermot Healy,
Declan Burke and Mary Branley
wouldn’t necessarily privilege Yeats
in their own dialogue between
creative imagination and place. And
the Leonard Cohen concerts last
summer, that brought Westlife
back to riff and play for their
hometown, prompted a rethink
about how Sligo is seen by the
wider world.
Inspired too by the hosting of the
World Rally Championship in
2009, the once dreamily romantic
branding of Sligo as “the land of
heart’s desire” is making way for
the rebooted, distinctly more
up-and-at-it vision of Sligo as a
place to “set your spirit free”.
This encouragement to direct
and savour your own experience of
HERITAGE and ARTS SLIGO
Above: Dervish. Below: Queen Maeve’s tomb atop Knocknarea
the place is especially right for
Sligo, when you consider that less
than 15 minutes from the town
centre, you can be hiking up a
mountainside towards the warrior
queen Maeve’s tomb magisterially
cresting Knocknarea; or
marvelling at the ruins at
Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
which predates the Pyramids; or
walking round Lough Gill’s
half-moon bay under the native
broadwood leaf canopy at
Hazelwood; or saying a prayer and
lighting a candle at the holy well at
Tobernalt. Alternatively, you may
have your nose pressed to a copy of
Yeats’s 1923 Nobel Prize winning
medal on display in the Sligo
museum, or contemplate a key
work by the poet’s brother, Jack B,
in the municipal Niland collection,
now in the safe keeping of Sligo’s
flagship arts centre, the Model.
The Model, of course, will have
alternative designs on your
attention, boasting a hugely
expanded gallery circuit, a coffee
dock, a suite of artists’ studios on
the top floor and a bookshop where
the back catalogue of previous
shows includes Dorothy
Cross, Seán
McSweeney,
John
Shinnors, Camille Souter, Patti
Smith, Dermot Seymour and
Dermot Delargy. Although, if
gallery-going is not your thing, they
have a dedicated arthouse and
world cinema, and host regular
current, contemporary and
traditional music gigs as well as
producing the annual Sligo New
Music Festival.
An alternative marriage of arts
and entrepreneurship is the new
Hamilton Gallery, located on the
first floor of No 4 Castle Street, a
listed Victorian building in the
heart of Sligo. The gallery mounts
monthly solo exhibitions by such
luminaries as Barrie Cooke and
Jane O’Malley, and promotes
Sligo-based talents such as Cormac
O’Leary and Michael Wann. And if
you can’t afford the work on the
walls there is an extensive
collection of fine art limited edition
prints and sculpture by Irish artists
for sale.
If it’s still food for thought you’re
after, the Blue
Raincoat Theatre Company, based
in the Factory Performance Space at
Quay Street, is celebrating its 20th
birthday this year by completing a
trilogy of stage adaptations of Flann
O Brien’s The Third Policeman and
At Swim-Two-Birds with The Poor
Mouth this autumn, in the lead-in to
the major music festival Sligo Live
on the October bank holiday
weekend.
On Temple Street, the Hawk’s
Well Theatre brings the best in
touring shows to Sligo, famously
supports Sligo’s amateur drama
and panto traditions, and this
summer hosts the 52nd Yeats
International Summer School.
If you can be lured away from the
town and its surrounds, the
Coleman Centre in Gurteen
preserves and celebrates the work
and life of musician Michael
Coleman, whose early recordings,
imported from the United States,
did so much to reinvigorate Sligo’s
colossal traditional music
inheritance, embodied today by
Dervish and crossover groups such
as No Crows and The Unwanted.
An interest in early traditions
and country life will bring you to
the Sligo Folk Park in Riverstown,
and its permanent collection of
hand tools and antique machinery –
and this is the place where, on its
annual heritage day, I spotted a pair
of farmers with their eyes riveted to
a sweetly running antique diesel
engine, sharing the rapt absorption
of art lovers before a masterpiece
on a gallery wall.
Because here in Sligo, it’s the
thought that creates the experience
that sets your spirit free.
■ Brian Leyden recently edited
volume II of Sligo County Libraries’
online literary journal ‘The Cathach’,
and is the author of ‘The Home Place’
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 19
SLIGO FESTIVALS
Culturalquarter
Sligo’s vibrant
cultural and musical
tradition is celebrated
in a packed season of
concerts, workshops
and summer schools
SLIGO JAZZ PROJECT
Sligo town, July 19th-24th, sligojazz.ie
One of the most innovative music
festivals in the country, featuring a
week of workshops, classes and
ensemble performances. Among
the performers this year are
Andreas Varady, the Dublin City
Jazz Orchestra, and Gilad Atzmon’s
Orient House Ensemble. For those
looking to improve their chops, the
line-up of tutors includes Grammy
-winning drummer John Riley, Jean
Toussaint on saxophone, Marshall
Gilkes on trombone and more.
This year’s two-week session is
packed with poetic wit and wisdom.
There are lectures, seminars, poetry
readings and workshops. Among
those involved are Peter McDonald
from Oxford, Marjorie Howes from
Boston College, Charles Armstrong
from the University of Bergen, Ann
Saddlemyer from the University of
Toronto, Mitsuko Ohno from Aichi
Shukutoku University, and Fintan
O’Toole of The Irish Times.
WARRIORS RUN
Strandhill, Aug 27th,
warriorsfestival.com
One of the most fiercely contested
races in the country, attracting
hundreds every year to race up
Knocknarea hill, and the tenacity of
the competitors during the event is
matched only by their appetite for
the post-race party.
YEATS INTERNATIONAL
SUMMER SCHOOL
July 24th-August 5th,
yeats-sligo.com/summer_school
20 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
LUNASA
August, Model.ie
The Model is holding a celebration
of the arts called Lunasa, with a
programme of music, film, comedy,
visual arts and outreach activities.
The Gloaming, a supergroup of
traditional musicians, will be
holding court, while the visual arts
programme features the work of
cutting-edge film-maker Harun
Farocki. A season of surf films is set
to be screened, including Endless
Summer, Big Wednesday and local
surf movie Waveriders. Meanwhile,
Etienne Zack, the Model’s
current artist in residence, will be
running art workshops for youths
and seniors.
CAIRDE SUMMER FESTIVAL
Sligo town, until July 10th,
cairdefestival.com
There’s still time to catch the Cairde
Summer Festival – from Chekhov’s
The Bear and concerts from Tupelo
and Lisa Hannigan to the Frivolous
Fare flea market.
SLIGO STAGES RALLY
Co Sligo, July 9th
This weekend it will be foot to the
floor when the Sligo Stages Rally
roars into the county.
FESTIVALS SLIGO
SLIGO RACES
Various dates, countysligoraces.com
This weekend you can savour the
thrill of the chase at the Sligo
Races. Reserve a table in the
Cleveragh Room, with a threecourse meal, grandstand viewing
area, betting and race card for ¤50.
Clockwise from far left: The
Warriors Run; the South Sligo
Summer School; oysters at the
Yeats Summer School
sligotradsingers.ie
Sligo Traditional Singers Circle will
host a weekend of sessions, lectures
and field trips in Rosses Point.
SOUTH SLIGO SUMMER SCHOOL
Tubbercurry, July 10th-16th,
sssschool.org
Classes and workshops on set
dancing and sean nós dancing, with
a host of recitals and céilís.
SLIGO FESTIVAL OF
BAROQUE MUSIC
The Model, Sept 30th-Oct 2nd,
sligobaroquefestival.com
The programme for this festival is
being finalised, but expect a strong
line-up of fantastic classical music.
SLIGO MYTHS AND LEGENDS
SCHOOL
July 23rd-24th, lughzone.com
Every inch of land in Sligo has its
own myth or legend. You can learn
more about them at this storytelling
and theatrical school.
JAMES MORRISON 19TH
TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Riverstown, July 29th-31st,
morrison.ie
This is one of the highlights of the
trad calendar and commemorates
Sligo fiddler James Morrison.
CARMEL GUNNING
INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL
Sligo town, Aug 1st-5th
Classes in tin whistle, flute, fiddle,
bodhrán, banjo, mandolin,
traditional guitar and traditional
singing, along with the inevitably
eventful sessions and recitals.
TUBBERCURRY OLD FAIR DAY
FESTIVAL
Tubbercurry, Aug 6th-11th
Every year the town is packed to
the rafters for one of the longest
established old fair days in Ireland.
SLIGO HERITAGE WEEK
Various locations, Aug 20th-28th,
heritageweek.ie
Sligo boasts more heritage than
most counties and this week marks
its natural, built and cultural
heritage with a series of events as
part of National Heritage Week.
events vie for space with dog shows,
farm-machinery displays and, erm,
... potato picking.
MULLAGHMORE HARVEST SHOW
AND DONKEY DERBY
Mullaghmore, Aug 28th
Does exactly what it says on the
donkey-shaped tin. Go along, put
the videos on YouTube afterwards,
and amuse your friends.
100th BELTRA SHOW
Beltra, Sept 3rd
Expect serious culinary competition
at the All-Ireland Baking Challenge,
which will put the sheep and dog
trials in the shade. Not to mention
the flower arranging which will
attract its own hardy annuals.
SLIGO TRADITIONAL
SINGING WEEKEND
Rosses Point, Sept 30th-Oct 2nd,
SLIGO OKTOBERFEST
Sligo town, Sept 30th-Oct 2nd,
sligotourism.ie
Get out the lederhosen, polish up
your best stein and set your liver to
resilient for a line-up of music, song,
art, dance – and beer.
BALLINTOGHER ANNUAL FEIS
Ballintogher, Oct 21st-30th
Set-dancing classes and singing to
beat the band at this festival in
memory of flute player John Egan.
SLIGO LIVE
Sligo town, Oct 26th-31st, sligolive.ie
A folk, roots and indie festival that’s
a cut above the rest, with more than
100 events, 80 per cent of which are
free. Headlining this year are Elvis
Costello and KT Tunstall.
SLIGO INTERNATIONAL
CHORAL FESTIVAL
Sligo town, Nov 10th-13th,
sligochoralfest.com
Some of the world’s finest choirs
will be alighting on Sligo town for
competitions and concerts in
November. This one spills out of
the churches and into the streets.
COLEMAN TRADITIONAL FESTIVAL
Gurteen, Aug 26th-28th,
colemanirishmusic.com
Celebrating the life of fiddler
Michael Coleman.
GURTEEN AGRICULTURAL AND
HORSE SHOW
Lisacheen Farm, Gurteen, Aug 28th
Show jumping and equestrian
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 21
SLIGO SURF’S UP
Sligo has a range of
surfing beaches –
Laurence Mackin
counts down the top
picks of the pros
CatchaSligo wave
S
URFERS GUARD their
secret spots more closely
than their lives it seems – ask
any surfer for a hint or tip
and you’re met with a shake of the
head and a slight smile.
Sligo, though, boasts more than
its fair share of spots, with one
surfer I spoke to reckoning there
were about “150 waves between
Bundoran and Belmullet, all
working off different conditions”.
Here are a few of the best.
and there is a right-hand reef break
to boot. The best swell direction is
from the northwest.
EASKEY
Despite being little more than a
small village, Easkey is one of
Ireland’s most famous surfing
locations. Easkey Left is a long left
point wave that can produce peaks
STRANDHILL
This is nearly every surfer’s first
port of call in Sligo. It has one of the
most consistent beach breaks in the
country, and is accessible for
beginners. When the forecast is
good, the waves develop plenty of
teeth to challenge the more
experienced surfer. Currents
and riptides are fairly strong
though, and on high tide it washes
right into the rocks, making it
treacherous. The seafront also has
a selection of schools (we
recommend Perfect Day) and
restaurants.
ENNISCRONE
Another one high on the hitlist,
Enniscrone is a good learning
beach, with calm, rolling waves in
most conditions. Waves break at
the beach on both left and right,
US pro Kelly Slater on location in
Easkey for the film Wave Riders
22 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
of up to 10 feet – a favourite with
intermediate surfers. Easkey Right
is strictly for experts, and breaks
over a reef with a steep takeoff.
STREEDAGH
Streedagh Strand is about halfway
between Sligo town and Bundoran,
and while not as consistent as some
of the others, it’s a solid beach
break popular with beginners and
intermediates. The long, sandy
beach can get busy in summer and
is best surfed in southeasterly
winds. It needs a decent swell to
make it interesting though.
MULLAGHMORE
Mullaghmore is a land of contrasts.
On the one hand, there is a wide,
flat beach break to the northeast,
that, in the right conditions,
beginners can have some fun on.
Then you have a reef break that
is one of the most fearsome waves
on the west coast and the biggest
ever surfed in Irish waters. The
wave itself is shallow, but has
immense power. A world-class
wave, for professionals only.
Big-wave surfer Al Mennie
describes surfing the biggest wave
of his life at Mullaghmore in 2007:
“There was no doubt that the wave
coming was a monster. It was
coming out of a black ocean
beneath a lightning-forked angry
SURF’S UP SLIGO
sky. It had my name on it. I
remember tilting my head back and
closing my eyes momentarily and
thinking of my dad before focusing
on the wave. It stood like a
six-storey office block. As I got to
about half-way down it, it just
lurched on the reef and grew
massively above me. I thought I was
a goner. It tried to suck me up the
face with it and I felt like I wasn’t
going to be able to make the rest of
the drop . . . I tightened down into a
low crouch and took the rock boils
at high speed, and I made it out
without falling. I couldn’t calm
down, I was ecstatic.”
PROWLERS
The exact location of Prowlers, the
latest, biggest and scariest monster
wave to be discovered off the Irish
coast, is still something of a closely
guarded secret. The strongest
rumour is that it’s 2km off the
Sligo/Donegal coast, and apparently
all the locals are in on the secret. So
chance your arm – assuming, that
is, you’re a professional-level surfer
with decades of experience and no
fear. Otherwise, stick to the online
videos.
AUGHRIS HEAD
Aughris Head is a well sheltered
bay that gets decent surf, even
when wet conditions leave most
other beaches flat. For many,
though, the attraction is the reward
of a pint in the beautiful Beach Bar
afterwards – one of the best pubs in
the west (see page 26). The sandy
beach makes a nice change from
the rocks of some of the area’s
other coastal spots. It faces north,
so northern swells are needed to
trigger the waves.
LIGHTHOUSE
Lighthouse to the north is a
challenging reef break that needs a
good paddle out. There’s a powerful
A gallop in the sand
F
OR SANDY thrills of the
four-legged variety, why not
explore the beach on
horseback. Go for a hack along
Streedagh Beach and enjoy the
views of Benbulben in the
distance. Contact Island
View Riding Stables,
islandviewridingstables.com
Tel: 071-9166156
Above: Waveriding at Mullaghmore.
Left: Strandhill on a calm evening.
right hander and a shorter, steeper
wave that curves to the left. It is
definitely one for those looking for
more challenging surf.
KILCUMMIN
This is one of the first reef breaks
CONEY ISLAND
W
HICH CAME first, Sligo’s
Coney Island or the NYC
version? A clue might lie in
its Irish name Inishmulclohy,
which after a few pints
could sound like a
slurred version of
Coney. The nearest
thing to truth is a story
that a Sligo captain,
Peter O’Connor,
named the New York
island in the late 1700s
– and few locals would
argue with that.
At its peak, 200
people lived here, but
after the Famine the
population was
decimated and now
the island is home to
just one family.
The trip to Coney is
eventful. Boats from the mainland
regularly call in, or you can brave
the causeway, guided by 14 pillars
built in 1845. It is only accessible
at low tide, and on the day we
were there, a forlorn looking jeep
had made it halfway before giving
up the ghost.
people cut their teeth on. It needs a
decent northwesterly swell to get
moving, but surf is fairly consistent
on the left-hand break. It is popular
so can get crowded and the riptides
can be quite strong.
HIDD
EN
GEM
Once on dry land, you can take
the edge off the day in the Pub,
which was first licensed in 1856.
The island has several beautiful,
deserted beaches, the
main one being
Carty’s Strand. En
route you can take
the weight off on St
Patrick’s Wishing
Chair, placed here by
the peripatetic saint,
whose fingermarks
can still be seen in
the rock. He also took
the time to curse the
island, after being fed
two cats instead of
the rabbits he asked
for, hence the reason
there is no church on
the island.
Another
monument of sorts is the Whale’s
Grave. In 1977 a dead sperm whale
was washed ashore (there are
pictures of it in the Pub), and it
was buried on the headland. Part
of its backbone is visible above the
ground, though now it could easily
be mistaken for a rock.
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 23
SLIGO NIGHTLIFE
zxgnxbvn
Kelly’s Bar gem
here
Strikingthe key note
Given its rich legacy, it’s not surprising that
Alanna Gallagher finds there’s music and
craic of all kinds to be found in Sligo
C
O SLIGO IS entertainment
central. Its musical legacy
plays a key role in its rich
cultural history.
The county can lay claim to
musicians who are leaders in their
genres; from the tenor singing of
Count John McCormack, to the
traditional tunes of Dervish, to the
pop ballads of super successful
Westlife. And country music is well
represented by Sandy Kelly, who
once duetted with Johnny Cash in
Markree Castle.
TOWN THRILLS
The entertainment starts in Sligo’s
bars. There’s a blues jam on
Mondays in Furey’s Bar, once
owned by Dervish, and traditional
music in art bar Shoot The Crows
on Tuesdays and in Early’s Bridge
Street Bar on Thursdays. All start
at 10pm.
Sunday sessions range from
24 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
NIGHTLIFE SLIGO
lunch time jazz at the Harp Tavern
on Quay Street (071-9142473
theharptavernsligo.com) to
unplugged worship at the MASS –
the Massive Acoustic Sunday
Session that takes place at
McGarrigle’s Bar on O’Connell
Street (071-606 9007). It starts at
8pm. There’s a trad session in
Donaghy’s Bar on Lord Edward
Street (071-916 2417) from 10pm.
If you’d rather stay in one place,
the Embassy Complexis one of the
city’s best-known central
destinations. Comprising the Belfry
Bar (belfrypub.com), the Embassy
Bar & Grill (embassygrill.eu) and
Toffs Nite Club, it means you don’t
have to spend your evening taxi-ing
from one destination to another.
The Belfry offers cocktails,
American pool and has two outdoor
heated areas which will help you
immerse yourself in Sligo’s social
scene, while the Embassy Wine Bar
and Grill, overlooking the
Garavogue river offers great food in
a relaxed ambiance.
It has four bars over two floors
and caters for all musical tastes.
The town has several late bars
worth investigating. Fiddler’s
Creek has party nights every
Saturday while The Garavogue
(garavogue.ie), set on the river
bank, has live music on Thursdays
and Fridays and DJ sets on
Saturday nights. And you can eat,
drink and dance the night away at
Shenanigans (shenanigans.ie).
On the club front Clarence Bar
and Club and the Velvet Room
(velvetroom.ie), which opens on
Saturday nights only, and so always
draws a crowd. Or book a table at
Pure (purenightclub.ie).
For a cure the next morning visit
TJKennedy’s (071-9143003), a real
rugby pub. Named after the famed
Leinster player Terry Kennedy,
father of proprietor Joan Quinn, it
has a continental-style front lounge
leading into a traditional back
lounge, with an extensive collection
of rugby memorabilia.
VILLAGE VIBES
BALLINACARROW
The Sligo Traditional Singers’
Circle (086 3097596
sligotradsingers.ie ) promotes the
arts of traditional singing and
storytelling and holds court in
Durkin’s pub in Ballinacarrow on
the second Wednesday of the
month. Durkin’s is also home to a
traditional music session on Friday
nights.
BALLYSADARE
Ballysadare’s musical heritage
stretches back to the folk festivals of
the late 1970s and early 1980s,
when nascent act Clannad and
established international names,
such as Donovan, headlined. The
Thatch Bar (071-9167288) offers
music at weekends and O’Connor’s
Bar (071-9167267) is another great
place for live music.
GRANGE
Moran’s pub (071-916 3131) holds
occasional free céilí nights and
actively encourages visitors to get
up and dance. The next one takes
place on July 14th and there’s
another on October 13th.
Above: Art bar Shoot the Crows,
Sligo town.
Left: Hargadon's pub and
restaurant , Sligo town.
Below left: TJ Kennedy’s.
GURTEEN
At the exhibition area of the
village’s Ceoláras Coleman
(071-9182599
colemanirishmusic.com) traditional
singing, musical styles and
instructions on two-hand and step
dancing give a real sense of the
aural history of the region.
Admission is ¤5. There are summer
seisiúns on Wednesday and
Saturday nights in July and August.
Admission is ¤10. Family and group
rates available.
HARRY’S BAR, Rosses Point
T
here are pubs and then there
are pubs – and this one is
definitely the latter. Harry’s on
the seafront at Rosses Point is
something of a
landmark, and one
of the most
extraordinary bars
in the west. This
establishment is
stuffed full of
seafaring
paraphernalia, and
every polished
item has a story or 10 to go with it.
There’s the Russian throttle,
part of a litany of items taken from
a ship by a grateful crew who were
stuck a few miles offshore. The
locals brought them food and
supplies, and the crew responded
in kind with bits of the ship. There
are the fairly harmless-looking
piranhas down the front of the bar,
HIDD
EN
GEM
and the huge, terrifying-looking
vegetarian piranhas that patrol the
tank towards the back, glaring out
from behind the bullet-proof glass.
There’s the
ancient natural
well discovered
while the owners
were building an
extension;
punters can now
look down at it
through the glass
top of the best
table in the house.
The pub has been in the Ewing
family for generations and Harry
Ewing, who died in 2006, also has a
pier named after him. Warmth,
chat, and a slew of stories washed
down with a perfect pint – this is
the kind of pub worth crossing the
country for.
Laurence Mackin
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 25
SLIGO NIGHTLIFE
The Embassy Bar
& Grill, Sligo town
Below: The Beach
Bar, Aughris
RIVERSTOWN
James Morrison Teach Cheoil
(morrison.ie) was built to
commemorate fiddle player
Morrison and his contemporaries in
the area. From September, it is a
hive of activity with trad music,
sean nós dancing and accordion
classes, and free evening fiddle and
tin whistle lessons for juniors on
Fridays. Every three weeks there’s
a session in one of the village’s
three pubs; Sean McDermott’s,
John McDermott’s or The Corner
House.
which recently enthralled Game of
Thrones actor Peter Dinklage. The
music varies from the Bush Céilí
Band to groups playing
STRANDHILL SOUNDS
The Venue (071-916 8167
venuestrandhill.ie) has live music
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
nights. The set list ranges from
contemporary covers to trad, with
local musician Seamus O’Dowd on
the mike on Thursdays and other
local musicians taking to the stage
on weekends.
AUGHRIS
The Beach Bar (071-9176465
thebeachbarsligo.com), in Aughris,
Templeboy, is a 17th-century,
thatch-roofed establishment that
has live music on Saturday nights
and on bank holiday Sundays,
26 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
contemporary music sets such as
Carousel and The Curly Bobs.
The seaside setting is
spectacular. Many visitors like to
park on the edge of the Dunmoran
Strand and walk across it to the
Beach Bar. On a good day you can
take your pint outside and enjoy the
vista at one of the establishment’s
many picnic tables. Also a gastro
pub, the seafood chowder is one of
its signature dishes. The bar has
accommodation on site.
■ For more see sligomusic.ie
GOLF SLIGO
Sligo’s rolling greens
Looking at Sligo’s
golf courses, you’d
be forgiven for
thinking the land was
carved out with the
sport in mind, writes
Johnny Watterson
F
EW WHO HAVE walked the
links in Enniscrone can feel
anything but that they are in a
special golfing place – not just
by virtue of the beauty of the
landscape, but by the natural way it
has been used to craft one of
Ireland’s most beautiful golf courses.
Blessed with a coastline that
provides the terrain from which
great links course are made,
Enniscrone typifies the sweep and
rugged panoramic beauty of Killala
Bay, which attracts so many golfers
each year.
Founded in 1918 and redesigned
by Eddie Hackett in 1974 and then
Donald Steel as recently as 2001,
Enniscrone provides a battery of
Top: Enniscrone Golf Club
Above: County Sligo Golf Club
interesting holes, some using the
uneven run of undulating fairways
and others the mountainous dunes,
giving the impression of narrow
strips of fairway running through
the sandy hills like valleys.
The course is now positioned
17th in the 2010 rankings of the top
100 courses in Ireland by Golf
Digest Ireland magazine. Apart
from the championship links known
as the Dunes, there is also the
splendid 9 hole Scurmore course.
Not so far away just outside Sligo
town, County Sligo Golf Club at
Rosses Point is another jewel in the
scatter of top-class courses around
Yeats country.
Established in 1894, it’s another
of Ireland’s outstanding golf venues
– and with some history attached.
The land for the course layout
was originally leased from a man
named Henry Middleton, an uncle
of Nobel Prize winning writer,
William Butler Yeats and his
brother, the famous painter, Jack.
The story of the course is entirely
wrapped up in the culture and
history of the area, with the
imposing Benbulben mountain a
sentry on one side, and the endless
Atlantic Ocean on the other.
The famous course is also host to
the first big amateur competition of
the season, where no lesser figures
than 2011 US Open winner Rory
McIlroy and three times Major
winner Padraig Harrington cut
their teeth as young up-and-coming
players.
Harrington won his first senior
title in 1994 at Rosses Point, while
the new superstar of the game
McIlroy was the youngest ever
winner of the West in 2005 at the
tender age of 15 – and made it a
double by holding onto the title the
following year.
Like Enniscrone, this
championship venue adheres to the
best principles of links golf and uses
the natural contours of the land to
best effect.
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 27
SLIGO GOLF
SHOPPING SLIGO
Strandhill Golf Club, and,
below, Castle Dargan
Golf Club
Known for its sheer beauty,
Strandhill is located beside the
picturesque seaside village of
Strandhill approximately 8km from
Sligo town. An 18 hole, par 69
venue, also designed by the
legendary Hackett, it nestles under
Knocknarea Mountain.
The course was originally
designed as a nine-hole until 1973,
when it was enlarged to 18 holes.
The welcoming club again provides
holes snaking around some of the
biggest dunes in these islands.
Catch the course on a summer’s
morning or evening with long
shadows cast and you will see it at
its best. As is the case with both
County Sligo and Enniscrone,
straight hitting around the dune
holes is a must.
Ballymote Golf Club is another
find, but this time inland and
hidden between the Curlew
Mountains and Ballymote town.
With its signature Lake Hole 7th
set into Ballinacarrow Lake, locals,
players and visitors claim it
matches up very well indeed to the
celebrated par 3 17th hole in
Druid’s Glen in Co Wicklow, where
the Irish Open was held some years
ago. It plays over 2,640m of
undulating, lush parkland.
Small too can be mighty and
Tubbercurry is a scenic nine-hole
course set into the Ox mountains
30km south of Sligo town. With
charming views of Croagh Patrick,
another Hackett design ensures it
tests even the best golfers with
most of the holes protected by
clever bunkering.
There is a more majestic feel to
Castle Dargan, where the estate
provides more than just a golf
course. The whole setting makes
the package a different experience
to the seaside links. Castle Dargan
provides a calm and sometimes
eerie presence on the horizon of the
6800 yard par 72 course. Yeats
even penned a poem almost a
century ago having been inspired by
a visit to the grounds.
The “King of the Great Clock
Tower” lines were of another time
compared to the contemporary
style of Castle Dargan now, where
spectacular views overlook the
18-hole golf course, designed by
28 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
Darren Clarke. This year it plays
host to the Connacht Senior
Championship.
For the eternal student and
perfectionist alike, Sligo Golf
Academy is a practice facility which
includes a modern 14-bay driving
range with automatic tees and an
all-weather Huxley putting green.
With four PGA teaching
professionals giving tuition
throughout the week, Sligo golf
academy offers lessons in a fun and
friendly atmosphere.
■ See countysligogolfclub.ie,
enniscronegolfclub.com,
castledargan.com/Golf,
strandhillgolfclub.com,
sligogolfacademy.com
RELAXATION SLIGO
Body matters
A spa treatment at
Voya in Strandhill
The natural Sligo scenery is pure inspiration for a bracing walk or a
relaxing session in a luxury spa, writes Rosemary Mac Cabe
S
LIGO HAS PLENTY to
nourish visitors from the
inside out, with a plethora of
health-enhancing services on
hand.
For years, known as “the sailor’s
cure”, the traditional seaweed bath
is an experience that, for the
uninitiated, is a lot more than the
sum of its parts, and at the same
time exactly what it says on the tin.
A bath is filled with natural,
freshly harvested seaweed, and you
are immersed in it until the water
becomes tepid, then shower off and
go back to everyday life.
The benefits are immediate and
lasting; seaweed contains almost
every nutrient the body needs to
replenish and regenerate its cells,
and the bath will leave you feeling
wholly rejuvenated.
There are two destinations to
choose from in Sligo: Kilcullen’s
Seaweed Baths at
Enniscrone(kilcullenseaweedbaths.com) have been going since
1912, and Voya Seaweed Baths
(voya.ie) is the current incarnation
of a business that also started in
1912, in Strandhill.
For open-air walks that will
refresh your mind and body, Sligo
offers great beaches and swathes of
wide open countryside.
Why not take in a signed walking
route, such as that at Slish Wood, a
short walk of about 3km off the
R287 from Sligo.
Another idea would be to walk up
Knocknarea mountain to the cairn,
the rumoured burial place of Queen
Maebh of Connacht.
The walk to the 452m summit
should take about an hour.
Wear decent walking shoes
because the trail can be slippery –
but the superb views of the Ox
Mountains and Benbulben on the
other side make it well worthwhile.
For a little more luxury with your
health experience, Cromleach
Lodge (cromleach.com) has an
award-winning spa, as well as an
outdoor hot tub.
The Pier Head Hotel
(pierheadhotel.ie) in Mullaghmore,
also has an outdoor hot tub, and a
gym, sauna and pool for all hotel
bookings. There are also seaweed
baths in its leisure centre area.
Castle Dargan Golf Hotel and
Wellness Resort (castledargan.com)
combines the sport with great
relaxation options at its Icon Spa,
which offers a range of treatments.
At the Yeats Country Hotel and
Leisure Club in Rosses Point
(yeatscountryhotel.com) guests can
enjoy golf, the spa facilities and the
glorious blue-flag beach.
The hotel has an award-winning
leisure club alongside its Eros
Luxury Spa, which offers a wide
range of luxury therapies.
Whether you take it into your
own hands in the great outdoors, or
allow others to pamper your
stresses away, a dose of Sligo is an
elixir guaranteed to refresh and
energise.
Cromleach Lodge has an award-winning spa and outdoor hot tub
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011 | 29
SLIGO SHOPPING
Buyerbe there
Fashion, food, crafts – Sligo has it all, writes Alanna Gallagher
S
LIGO TOWN OFFERS a great
shopping mix from fashion to
cosmetics, gourmet food to
antiques. The centre is a blend
of traditional shop fronts and
contemporary, small-scale
shopping centres. And the vibrant
independent boutique culture
showcases local talent alongside
international labels. Best of all,
Sligo is bijou in size making it a
shopping hotspot best explored on
foot.
Some of its most beautiful shop
fronts date back to the 19th
Century. Mullaney Brothers has a
listed Connemara marble front.
Inside it offers everything from
fashion to school uniforms for 14
local schools.
Henry Lyons, established in
1835, is another old-school
haberdashery. According to legend
Countess Markievicz used to ride in
on horseback and insist that she
have her dresses (which were made
there) altered without dismounting.
These days, the lingerie
department, Ophelia Lingerie,
is the big draw, stocking fashion
labels such as Elle MacPherson
Intimates, Tommy Hilfiger and
Lejaby.
For a fast fashion fix head to
Quayside Shopping Centre, a
smartly designed mall that is home
to River Island, Pull and Bear,
Oasis, Next, Monsoon and
Accessorize and even TK Maxx if
you’re looking for a bargain (or you
find you didn’t pack the right
clothes for the weather).
Johnston Court is Sligo’s newest
shopping experience. Have your
hair done for a night out at Peter
Mark, one of the many big names in
30 | THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 6, 2011
the galleria-style pedestrianised
walkway.
Zulu is a independent fashion
boutique catering for everything
from occasion wear to off-duty
basics. It stocks Mary Grant,
knitwear and accessories by Sarah
Pacini and weekend wear by Save
The Queen.
Jewellery maker Martina
Hamilton, owner of The Cat and
the Moon, epitomises the town’s
sense of cool. As well as stocking
one of the most comprehensive
ranges of craft in the country she
designs and makes three jewellery
collections on the premises – giving
you a choice of hand-made, hip and
portable souvenirs of your stay
Gourmands are well catered for.
Source Sligo (sourcesligo.ie) is the
go-to place to tickle your taste buds.
Kate’s Kitchen (kateskitchen.ie)
CRAFTS SLIGO
sells fine foods and cupboard
essentials such as Cooperhill’s
chunky fruit marmalade, one of the
numerous big house estates that
litter the county. They also sell
toiletries. Cosgrove’s, an old
fashioned country grocer and
food specialist on Market Street,
is also worth the detour if only to
marvel at the displays.
Shopping is hungry
work. For that sugar
rush pay Gourmet
Parlour
(gourmetparlour.com)
on Bridge Street a visit
and indulge in a slice of
whatever you fancy. Eat on
the hoof and dive back into
the town’s offerings. Or if you
fancy sitting down somewhere
order a freshly-made baguette
or hearty bowl of soup at Café
Fleur (cafefleur.ie), a smart little
coffee shop on O’Connell Street.
For a caffeine fix visit O’Hehir’s
Bakery and Café on Wine
Street.
Town markets add personality to
the busy setting, and Sligo Town
Market is held in Market Yard on
Fridays from 8am to 3pm and a
Farmers’ Market takes place at IT
Sligo on Saturdays from 10am to
1pm. The Country Market at
Beltra, held in the lovely old
corrugated- iron community hall, is
an established place to meet up.
Give yourself plenty of time to
check out the local produce,
home-baked goods and local
crafts. In Ballymote the market
is held in the town square from
9am to 4pm. Ballinacarrow’s
country market takes place every
Saturday from 10am to noon,
while the Village Food Fare in
Collooney is a combination of local
and artisan producers and takes
place the first Saturday of each
month.
If you fancy a spot of antiquing
go to Yeats Country Antiques, in
Branley’s Yard in Rathcormack.
They specialise in fine Georgian,
Victorian and Edwardian period
furniture and collectables.
No trip to Co Sligo is complete
without paying a visit to Voya
Cosmetics’ (voya.ie) humble
headquarters on the prom in
Strandhill. Try some of the products
that so enamoured Richard
Branson that they are now his
toiletries of choice on his private
yacht – quite a coup for a small,
independent Sligo brand.
Bag by
Ana Faye
Craft county
Crafts are some of the county’s best
buys. Try Michael Kennedy Ceramics
(michaelkennedyceramics.com) at
Market Cross, buy crafts at Michael
Quirke’s on Wine Street and pay the
aforementioned The Cat and The
Moon (thecatandthemoon.com) a
visit for one of their monthly
showcase events featuring leading
Irish craft artisans.
The Made In Sligo (madeinsligo.ie)
craft trail offers you a guided tour to
meet makers across all the craft
disciplines in their studios in various
parts of the county. From Ana
Faye’s gorgeous leather handbags
to Lynda Gault’s pottery and the
goldsmithing of Gilbert Henry, it’s
a wonderful way to better
appreciate the piece you buy.
You can explore further at
Benbulben Pottery
(davemcloughlinceramics.com), set at
the foot of the sphinx-like landmark in
Rathcormac. And Drumcliffe Tea
House and Craft Shop is the perfect
place to indulge several senses at
once. Browse their selection of Yeats
and Irish interest books and explore
their selection of original quality crafts
while slaking your thirst with a cuppa.
HIDD
EN
TOBERNALT
T
OBERNALT – “the cliff well” –
is at the western end of Lough
Gill. An age-old pilgrimage
site, The Holy Well
is screened by
trees, wild garlic
and hart's-tongue
fern. Supplicants
hold that its waters
have healing
powers for
ailments of the eye
and head
especially. From
the well a brisk
stream flows,
making a constant
soothing music.
The restored Penal
Mass Rock stands
below a lovely altar
built into the base
of the cliff. Secluded and sheltered
from the elements, candles burn
GEM
here all year round, and also at
further shrines to Saint Anne and
her daughter, the Blessed Virgin
Mary, the Holy
Family and the
Marian Shrine. The
gravel walks have
numbered
limestone Stations
of the Cross, and
though somewhat
cluttered lately by
granite stones
announcing the
mysteries of the
Rosary, along with
sponsored stone
benches for the
steady stream of
hushed visitors, the
holy well preserves
its unique
atmosphere of healing tranquillity.
Brian Leyden
THE IRISH TIMES Sligo | July 11, 2011 | 31
To cherish memories forever, you have to live them first. Experience world class surfing at
Strandhill, or immerse yourself in the spectacular landscapes of Ben Bulben or the Ox Mountains.
Horse riding, trekking, mountain biking, kite surfing, golfing or just lazily walking some of the
most beautiful beaches in Ireland – in Sligo you’re free to do it all.
/SLIGO
discoverireland.ie
P28422 FI SLIGO Surf IT Supp. 257x175 CB.indd 1
27/06/2011 11:56